Page 8 of Caged

“Whatever,” Jaden said before lifting a rather large stack of chairs, making his biceps bulge under his tight navypolo. Refusing to think about his tattooed forearms flexing, I turned away and asked Meg to repeat herself.

“We’ll probably order out, so you only need to bring the usual,” she said, like I should know.

I’d know if I accepted her invitations more often.Ignoring my embarrassment, I asked, “What’s the usual?”

“Whatever you want to drink,” several voices answered.

I resisted the urge to look at Jaden while we finished packing up. Watching his muscles flex as he carried heavy things was not something I wanted to get caught doing.

I may not get along with him, but he’s damn easy on the eyes.And I had a thing for muscles and tattoos on guys.

I grabbed a twelve pack of a local amber craft beer and a bottle of sparkling grape juice before going to Jamie’s.

When I first came to Weatherford for a case, Jack and Meg lived with Jamie. SSI had called my boss, Agent Jones, and asked for his help finding Chase, Beth’s son and John and Mary’s godson.And soon to be Doug’s stepson. Jones thought my profiling skills would come in handy, so he’d asked me to come as a favor. Luckily for everyone, Chase was kidnapped by a distraught mother, not a hardened criminal. Rescuing him was relatively easy.

During our drive back to Dallas, I’d grilled Jones about his connection to SSI. That was how I learned Meg was a victim of trafficking. Jones was the FBI agent who’d helped her relocate and get the help she needed to start over.

Emily moved in with Jamie as soon as Jack and Meg moved out.And now Jaden lives here. It was a step up from living withhis parents, but it said a lot about his maturity that he lived with his soon-to-be-married big brother.

I’m a hypocrite, judging Jaden but not Jack.

Meg greeted me at the door and invited me in.

After greeting her, I handed her a bottle of sparkling grape juice. “This is for you.”

“Thank you. Now I can have bubbly in my wine glass instead of water.”

“You aren’t planning on drinking all of these yourself, are you?” Jamie asked as he took the twelve-pack from me.

I laughed. “No, I figured I’d bring extra as a gift for the host.”

“Much appreciated,” he said with a nod.

I hovered near the edge of the crowd and observed as we talked in the kitchen.

I told myself I wasn’t annoyed that Ashley openly flirted with Jaden. Rationalizing my irritation by questioning why she’d want to hook up with him.

Maybe it was the lop-sided grin he kept flashing her.

Maybe it was the way his amber eyes sparkled as he flirted.

Maybe it was his stupidly sexy body.

Chapter 4

Jay

Maxwell accepted the invite just to prove me wrong and then showed up with a twelve-pack of craft beer and a bottle of sparkling grape juice for Meg. Which thrilled Meg, who was drinking “plain old boring water”.

A gift for the host. I mimicked her in my head. Of course she brought a gift.What a kiss ass.

When Emily said, “We’re ordering pizza, wings, and salads. Is there anything specific you want?” Maxwell shrugged and said she wasn’t picky.

“The military does that to a person,” Jack joked. He wasn’t wrong. You learned to eat what you could, when you could. But Maxwell was an officer, and had never seen combat so I doubt she really understood.

Maxwell acted relaxed, but I could see the tension in the way she held herself. Not that I paid that much attention to her body, or the curve of her shoulders, or how sheabsentmindedly tapped her fingers on her legs when she was tense or nervous.

Just like the irritating way she tapped her pen to her chin when thinking.

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